Don't Climb Your Mountain, SPEAK To It [nephero]

[GoblinFae]

Segari blowed gently on his spoonful just in time to witness the impressive display of teeth. His eyes widened in dumbfounded surprise at the petite lady's talent but made no comment, instead choosing to continue to mind his own food. A small, fond smile curled beneath his beard all the same though. He hoped that if she noticed it, she would not think it rude of him. He certainly meant no harm and was instead pleasantly amused.

Her question though gave him quiet pause. For a moment he thought of home, but it was not food that struck pangs of longing within his heart; it was a woman. The way the cooking fire cast dancing shadows through her blonde hair, making it appear more red than gold, the way her soft voice sounded as she sang in her mother-tongue, a language he had never been able to truly learn, the way her cooking always smelled of home...and burning— he missed it all. He missed her.

But how did you convey to a stranger that it wasn't a what but a who? How did you share something so deep and heartfelt that it took his breath away and left him raw and empty inside without making them feel guilty? How did you not bare the ache of your soul and still remain truthful?

Segari did not know the answers to these questions. He was a simple man who lived a simple life. So he answered in the only way he knew how, the only way that was simple and truthful to its very core.

"Everything."

[nephero]

   Segari didn't need to explain what 'everything' meant. Ana didn't know what it meant, but he still understood. The way Segari paused, the way he said the word as if every single part of it was meant to be enunciated and capitalized and filled with meaning... Ana didn't understand what it meant, but he understood how it felt.

   Much quieter, Ana placed his spoon back into his bowl and thought for a moment about all the possible ways he could try to comfort this man. But there were none, none that sufficiently expressed his sympathy for whatever it was that was so missing in Segari's life.

   "It's hard. Things changing. Being changed. It's okay to miss what used to be."

[GoblinFae]

The giant nodded back, for truly he did understand and it had taken a long time for him to process the loss of his family. But no matter how many years past, it still stung as fresh as the day he abandoned dwelling in the ocean of his grief.

"Aye," he spoke softly, nodding again.

"It is...the way of things in this world. There is life and there is death and there is ever constant change like the seasons." He pat his hand on the worn table. "Apologies," he murmured, his voice sounding a bit rough and wet before he cleared his throat. "I soured the mood."

Segari looked to her bowl and nodded at it. "Is the meat to your liking?"

[nephero]

   Ana considered his bowl of stew for a moment, before plucking up another chunk of meat and shredding it, focused more on giving himself time to think than actually eating.

   "I find very little comfort in the way of the world, honestly." He said, words slow and careful more out of not being quite sure how to say what he was saying. "I know... that things simply are the way they are. Time passes and what will be, will be, yes. But... it doesn't really provide much of a road map about what to do when your time is full of such hurts. It doesn't make it easier."

   Ana took another swig of his beer, licking his lips free of residual foam.

   "All you can do is walk, though, and hope the road evens out. Otherwise, you're just stuck with your hurt and the idea that well... it is what it is. I..."

   Another, deeper drink.

   "I prefer being able to keep walking, you know?"

[GoblinFae]

Segari could only nod as his companion spoke. He did know what she meant. It was why he left, it was why he bounced from place to place and job to job. All he could do was walk. And he would keep on walking until he couldn't or the mountain told him to stop.

"One day," he paused fingering the texture of his tankard with his thumb in deep thought, "one day you will have to stop. Or errum at least reach the end. Someone once told me you cannot," Segari leaned back in his chair staring at the ceiling in remembrance to try and get it all down right, "survive...on heart...alone. If you eat...your heart....you leave nothing left."

He shook his head, sitting straight again. "Err, I don't know if that makes sense. She always spoke it better."

[nephero]

   Ana considered his words for a moment, knowing that he fully agreed that walking forever was not an option. Whether for a minute longer or a decade or three centuries, the journey had to end for better or worse.

   The pull was so strong, though.

   "What would you like to do when you stop?" Ana asked, turning away from his own wants in a bid to stave off the sudden pang deep in his chest. "What would be a good end, if you could choose it?"

[GoblinFae]

"Home." The word dropped from his lips before he even had a thought to spare for it. It was as if his heart was screaming out to be heard from deep within where he had buried the most tender parts of it.

Segari coughed and cleared his throat. "I would want a place and family to call...home." He stared down at the dregs of his stew and unconsciously ran pressed his hand over his heart rubbing as if to soothe the pain inside. "But I will accept whatever the mountain provides me. It is as it is done.

"I...had mine," he smiled wryly, the smile brightening though as he gazed upon her radiance, "perhaps it is your turn to have yours."

[nephero]

   "That's the beauty of a big, wide world, I suppose." Ana smiled softly, the pang in his chest ebbing into an odd, antsy twisting that would not leave him in peace. Nor allow him to finish his meal, what few shreds were left at the bottom of his broth.

   "There should be enough room for both of us to find a home." Ana's brows knit lightly, and he rubbed absently at a point just over one brow to ease the tension there. "But I wouldn't mind walking for a bit longer with you. I don't think the ale is sitting well."

[GoblinFae]

He looked at her with instant concern and compassion. "Oh of course! Apologies!" Segari rose from his seat quickly nearly knocking it over as he moved to offer Ana a hand out of her seat. "Mayhaps some uh fresh air will help?"

His cheeks reddened to match his beard although whether that was from drink or embarrassment was hard to tell. He had eyes only for her though as he hovered with worry and guilt at her feeling ill. After all if he hadn't run into her then she wouldn't have come out to eat with him and felt suddenly under the weather.

"If you prefer you can step outside and I'll pay. I don't wish you to uh...um...hmm..."

[nephero]

   Ana gave Segari a wry sort of smile.

   "To make a mess?" Ana looked over to the other tables where the waitress was moving around as if to purposely keep her back to the pair of them. "Mm. I think you may be right."

   Ana slowly stood, letting Segari support him and feeling nominally better just from the change of posture. It didn't help his headache any, however, and he very quickly reached into his bag to find some coin.

   "Here, I offered to pay." He squinted a bit at his own bag, fighting a grimace. Ana pressed a few coins into the giant's hand, rather unsure as to what those coins actually equated to and so going for as many of the biggest he had at the moment. That was about as far as Ana seemed to be able to manage, as his headache seemed to pulse right back to full force and he was forced to head out for the door and fresh air.

   How the hell did Valys manage this every single night in such quantity? Ana had barely made a dent in his tankard and the limited wooziness had been so quickly replaced by suffering that Ana was sure the big yellow fool was a masochist.

[GoblinFae]

Segari winced at the suggested completion to his sentence before accepting the coin and gently coaxing Ana towards the door. Only once the fair lady was out of sight did the giant reach into his own change purse and place three coins on the table. It was monetarily far less than what the elf had tried to pay but also still more than the cruel waitress likely had deserved. He caught her eye though and nodded at her all the same before hurrying out to find Anastolyr, hoping the fresh air was helping her and that she had not gotten sick or dizzy.

"Are you well enough to walk or would you like to sit a bit?" He asked softly once he located her. Her cheeks were flushed grey, a stark contrast to the rest of her pallor. Segari offered an arm for her to lean on should she desire, her coins still in his other hand. "You uh, also um, gave me uh, too much. Please allow me to, return the change."

[nephero]

   Ana managed a smile that wasn't entirely forced when Segari found him, taking his arm and abandoning the side of the tavern he'd previously been leaning on and taking in deep breaths of— well. Fresher air.

   "Thank you." The more Ana stood there with him, the better he felt, enough to take back the coins with a small smile. "Sorry about that, I wasn't really thinking about being exact."

   Ana put the coins back into his bag and turned it so the bag was between himself and Segari, certainly not wanting to risk any further thefts for the day.

   "I'm well enough to walk. I think the movement is helping." Ana felt his face heating up, mostly out of embarrassment. "I am... not terribly good at drinking, apparently."

[GoblinFae]

Segari patted her hand, enjoying how she fit fit against him. She was so much taller than Runa had been and yet seemed far more delicate as to break like delicate pottery. Then again, Ana had proven twice already she was a woman full of surprises. Perhaps she was not nearly as fragile as she appeared to be.

He waved his hand dismissively, "think everything of it. I would uh rather you like this." The giant blushed and gave her hand a squeeze. "You are looking prettier— UH better!"

Segari dipped his head in his own embarrassment at getting his words mixed up and possibly causing her insult by implying she was not pretty before. He kept his pace slow and even though, very used to walking with tiny humans and their ilk of shorter legged beings. "I am not terribly good at words, apparently," he echoed instead."

[nephero]

   "Mm... I would say you're the sort of person who is not good at words, but excellent at meaning." Ana smiled up at him, moving easily beside him and not minding the slower pace one bit. He really was feeling better and better by the moment thanks to the giant's gentle care. "I think that's a much better thing to be good at."

   Not for the first time, Ana was very glad to be on his own and not with his kin, as he was entirely sure that such a statement would have earned him odd looks at best, and a very loud 'the FUCK did you just actually say ho-lee shit I think the world just ended' at worst.

   Yes. Ana was very, very glad it was just him and Segari.

[GoblinFae]

"Thank you....for your kind words that are good in both um...words? And meaning. You are easy to speak with. Thank you."

He licked his lips then looking around to try and gain his bearings before recognising more of the town. "Is there somewhere specific you wanted to go or just anywhere? Oh!" Segari blushed suddenly and dipped his head again, "do you need to return to your friends? I have uh taken your time already."

[nephero]

   Ana beamed up at him.

   "Thank you. I've really enjoyed speaking with you. With everything else, I admit it's been stressful, and I... have not had the time to make friends." Ana snickered a little. "Even ones that I quite literally run into."

   At Segari's sudden concern, however, Ana lifted his free hand to pat Segari on his massive bicep, giving him a gentle squeeze. When Ana spoke, it was with that same lilting song, though a much lower and almost tranquilizing tone.

   "Please, don't worry. If my friends need me, they will find me. I don't exactly blend in." Ana grinned much wider and took on a more mischievous tone. "Between the pair of us, even less so. ...Would you like to go to the river? The air will be cooler there."

[GoblinFae]

Her touch gave him quiet pause as he looked to the hand squeezing his bicep and finding it both nonthreatening and....comforting. Anastolyr's voice though was as sweet and soothing as when she had breathed her first words to him. For a moment Segari imagined what it might be like to hear it more often before brushing such thoughts away reproachfully. She was a fine lady searching for someone that was most assuredly not a tired, fumbling, and brokenhearted mountain giant of the north.

"You are as unique and lovely as an oyster! But I fear you are still small enough to be missed if my bumbling over your toes is any contradiction. Apologies again for that Fair Anastolyr." Segari bowed his head again to her pressing the first and middle fingers of his free hand to his forehead in apology.

"The river would be a welcome relief. This southern sun is more exhausting than midday mountain climbing I find. I do not understand how the people here are so—" he pantomimed a small, energetic jig, not knowing the word for what he meant even as he turned them further from the center of the city and to where cool waters babbled and skipped over stones.

[nephero]

   Ana laughed at the jig, utterly delighted by the pantomime if only because it was so painfully true.

   "I don't understand how they're functional." He agreed, sighing in relief once they moved away from the piled-on houses and buildings and were able to catch a hint of a breeze. It was even more of a relief once they were alongside the river proper, the massive waters cooling the air. It was only by a small amount, but that was more than enough for Ana, and he took the opportunity to breathe deep.

   He'd have to get used to the stuffiness of the Adelan summertime at some point. But for the moment, it was okay to commiserate with a fellow child of the north. Ana sniffed and carefully itched at his nose as they passed a crop of flowering plants, but thankfully did not break into a fit of sneezing like when his people were moving through the wider grasslands of Serendipity.

   Ana pulled from Segari's arm, spotting a suitable path to the riverbank. He slipped his shoes off his feet and left them in the grass, his robe pulled up and over an elbow and trousers peeled up to sit over his knees. Satisfied that he wouldn't be walking back to the others completely waterlogged, Ana made his way down to the water, stepping in just enough to cover his ankles and enjoy the water.

   He looked over his shoulder at Segari and grinned, beckoning him. "It's no mountain stream, but it's lovely."

[GoblinFae]

He blushed at laughter but found the sound beautiful like the clear, crispness of crystalline ice as the first rays of sunlight bathed the tundra in gold. The blush only deepened to dark crimson though as Anastolyr removed her shoes and rolled up her pantlegs revealing equally pale and flawless ankles and calves. Segari looked away quickly, incredibly flustered to have been staring at a very private part of the lady that she may not have meant for him to see.

Out of respect for her, he turned to the side and instead stared down into the water. He could only pray she could not see how heated he had become out of embarrassment. "Are there mountains where you are from?"

[nephero]

   Ana wasn't quite sure what had made the giant so bashful this time, and smiled wide in amusement as he continued to beckon him over. Only once he was standing close by again did Ana dare to venture a little deeper, whispering to the rocks in the riverbed and compelling them to keep steady and not send Ana tumbling down the current. He'd never hear the end of it if they did.

   "Mm, of a sort. Not so many as I've seen getting here." Ana said once the river was suitably placated into playing nice. "There's a... I suppose you could call it a mountain, it's quite tall, but the middle is all gone so the peak is more of a pit."

   Attempting to describe the Starfall was proving to be a challenge, because while Ana could easily lilt off a few words in his native tongue and be understood, it was harder to do so in a way that these more southern peoples could comprehend without going into lengthy discussion about different meanings and attachments.

   "At one point I'm sure it was like your mountains. Tall and mighty. But that was a long time ago."